FIREFIGHTERS are facing disciplinary action - accused of sleeping on the floor of their station instead of on new reclining chairs.
Three men are being investigated for 'involvement in the use of unauthorised rest facilities'. A colleague called it 'bureaucracy gone barmy'.
Fire chiefs are looking into claims they defied orders to rest on the £400 reclining chairs which were installed as a replacements for beds in Greater Manchester's 41 fire stations last year. It is claimed they broke regulations by deciding it was more comfortable to use their own sleeping bags and bed down on the floor.
The firefighters - watch commander Steve Wilcock, Dave Adamson and Keith Hadley - are all experienced officers on Green Watch at Bury.
Firefighters are entitled to three hours' rest during a 15-hour night shift when they are not out on emergency calls.
Director of human resources Anita Wainwright said: "Risk-assessed facilities have been provided for rest only, not sleep.
"However, if a firefighter were to doze off on the rest facilities provided, a common sense approach is adopted."
Fire Brigades Union leaders said its members were being treated as `fools' and firefighters complained they were being spied on by managers. One said: "It's bureaucracy gone barmy."
The fire service replaced all beds in its fire stations with the reclining chairs at a cost of £130,000 under a modernisation programme.
Safety training
The M.E.N. revealed how the firefighters were not allowed to use them until they had been given special health and safety training on how to sit on them.
An internal memo, issued last year, gave new guidelines on how to rest at fire stations and warned of `random inspections' and threatened anyone caught out with disciplinary action.
Kevin Brown of the
Fire Brigades Union said: "Firefighters make life or death decisions every day, but they appear to be being treated as fools."
Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service confirmed it has launched an internal investigation, but has yet to decide if the three will face disciplinary charges. A hearing is scheduled for June 14.
The probe was launched after a 'performance review team' carried out a spot check at around 6.30am. It is understood a sleeping bag was found in a locker and officials believed the men were resting on mattresses instead of the chairs.
A firefighter said: "We cannot use pillows on the chairs and we cannot use our own blankets. Airline blankets have been issued instead. We do not mind being assessed on performance, but being spied on like this leaves a nasty taste."
Mr Brown said FBU members have lodged `numerous' complaints about the chairs.
He said: "We are aware that a number of members have complained about these chairs and that the facilities being provided are causing more problems than they are solving."
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Firemen 'sleeping in wrong place'
May 31, 2007
One of the chairs for the firefighters
Showing comments 1 to 25 and replies | View All
Colin W, Stockholm (31/05/2007 at 06:40)
pro bono publico, Ashton under Lyne (31/05/2007 at 07:05)
seaspray (31/05/2007 at 08:12)
Sounds like ambiguous double-speak to me. No wonder there's a problem.
Plus it seems a waste to have spent £130,000 if the floor is more comfortable, when they already had perfectly good rest facilities.
If you were in dire need of the fire service towards the end of one of their long shifts, wouldn't you rather they'd had some rest after their last strenuous call out.
John A (31/05/2007 at 08:32)
Jo14, Stockport (31/05/2007 at 08:51)
Perhaps them that make these decisions should try having a "rest" in these chairs.
mr chips, manchester (31/05/2007 at 09:51)
prisoners get beds!
Zeb Thompson, Rossendale (31/05/2007 at 10:02)
Zeb Thompson, Rossendale (31/05/2007 at 10:16)
fallowfieldflyer (31/05/2007 at 10:52)
beswick red (31/05/2007 at 11:50)
T Duffield (31/05/2007 at 12:13)
These firefighters can `rest¿ on the £130,000 chairs provided, but not sleep on them, however if they were to doze off on the chair, ¿a common sense approach is adopted¿¿¿..
Therefore, why not use the same `common sense approach¿ if these firefighters find it more comfortable to `rest¿ on the floor?? What does it matter where they choose to rest ¿ this sounds more like a `jobsworth¿ state of affairs!!
At the end of the day, the people who are at risk are those whose lives may one day depend on a ¿rested¿ firefighter. If the firefighter isn¿t rested, will a `jobsworth¿ come to his aid and take over¿¿.. I think NOT!!
Ricky G, Perth WA (31/05/2007 at 12:15)
So resting has been "risk assess - woopie do - no doubt with reams of paper detailing how our firefighters should "rest in a corporate manner"!!
I personally as a ratepayer would rather firefighters turned up to a fire having rested in a manner they personally see fit themselves rather than how a "corporate monkey" has deemed they should rest.
This is a shining example of how the lunatics are running the asylum.
I think a perusal of human rights legislation is needed - "firefighters complained they were being spied on by managers" - have the managers studied the "RIPA or Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act" and the fact that monitoring their staff resting in order to discipline them over a trivial matter is disproportionate!!
Ricky G, Perth WA (31/05/2007 at 12:37)
Every time you try and move in these chairs they automatically try and collapse back into the sitting position.
I would like to see the higher authority do a 15 hour night shift and try and rest in these chairs.
Vim, Wigan (31/05/2007 at 12:47)
Why would the fire authority allow this? Aren't these councillors supposed to spend the money wisely?
Also isn't it about time these firefighters were paid shift premium and anti social hours like other workers. At one time the trade off for not being paid shift premium for a 15 hour night used to be 7 hours stand down other than emergencies.
Unfortunately if any legal action were took by the firefighters it would take years to go to court, meanwhile the management's bullying and harassment regime is free to carry on.
It appears to be a common theme throughout the country.
Bury me in Eastlands, Algarve, Portugal (31/05/2007 at 12:51)
K Jones (31/05/2007 at 13:00)
tuzzer82 (31/05/2007 at 13:48)
Laddy The Gorton Rat, Gorton (31/05/2007 at 13:51)
marc (31/05/2007 at 14:20)
PW, Manchester (31/05/2007 at 14:23)
. (31/05/2007 at 14:30)
Mick (31/05/2007 at 15:16)
By the same token, we are also the paymasters of the officers who are making mountains from mole-hills. I for one am not happy with the situation?
grandmabubble, Levenshulme Manchester (31/05/2007 at 15:34)
Laddy The Gorton Rat, Gorton (31/05/2007 at 16:04)
Steven Booth (31/05/2007 at 16:07)
pro bono publico, Ashton under Lyne
How right you are. It is part of the current system of 'management' which effectively bullies the workforce in submission. Keep the workers on their guard and and they are weakened and vulnerable. They get some Junior Officers to go round the stations spying on the promise of future job development (promotion). Just who the heck would want to be part of today's Fire Service Management if this is the way they behave. I think it's time there was a change at the top in both GMC Fire Service and the Fire Authority. Cllr Fred Walker has run riot through GMC Fire Service with his own personal brand of vitriol long enough. What was once a superb service has now been brought to it's knees by the harassment of it's workforce. Morale is at rock bottom and firefighters just want out. CFO Barry Dixon and Cllr Fred Walker must be so proud!